Omni-directional photographic illumination apparatus

Abstract

An object to be photographed is illuminated with substantially omni-directional, glare-free lighting. The object is placed within an ovoidal shell, inward from an access opening at one end, and supported on a platform formed by a flattened bottom surface of the shell. The entire inner surface of the shell is a light-diffusing surface and is illuminated by a light source which is shielded from direct illumination of the object. The ovoidal diffusing surface reflects light back and forth from and onto itself to produce substantially uniform omni-directional illumination within the shell. The object is supported far enough inward from the access opening of the shell to receive such omni-directional illumination so that it is well lighted for photographing and, in the absence of direct-lighting illumination, appears substantially glare-free. Any highlights desired for photographic purposes are produced by direct lighting from a suitable source, as by controlled direct lighting from the main light source or from a supplemental lamp.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for producing substantially omni-directional lighting of an object to be photographed, comprising a shell of generally spheroidal shape having an access opening therein through which a camera may view an object within the shell,   means to support an object within the shell in position to receive light from substantially all directions from the inner surface of the shell so as to be illuminated by such light from substantially all directions,   said inner surface having light diffusing reflectance characteristics over substantially its entire area,   said shell being constructed and arranged to permit said surface to be illuminated over a substantial area so as to cause light to be diffusely reflected therefrom to other parts of the surface and from such surface onto an object supported by said support means.   
     
     
       2. Lighting apparatus as in claim 1 in which said shell is an ovoidal shell, and said access opening is at one end thereof. 
     
     
       3. Lighting apparatus as in claim 1 in which the inner surface of said shell, other than any portion thereof included in said support means, is a substantially continuously curved surface having diffusing reflectance characteristics. 
     
     
       4. Lighting apparatus as in claim 2 in which said shell is formed with a flattened bottom portion forming a platform constituting said support means, said shell having an otherwise substantially continuously curved inner surface. 
     
     
       5. Lighting apparatus as in claim 4 in which said flattened bottom portion extends substantially to said access opening. 
     
     
       6. Lighting apparatus as in claim 5 in which said platform is adapted to support a photographic object at an object position spaced inward from said access opening and said shell extends forward and converges beyond such object position so as to reflect light onto the front of an object in such object position. 
     
     
       7. Lighting apparatus as in claim 2 with the addition of a light source to project light from outside through said access opening onto a portion of the inner surface of the shell. 
     
     
       8. Lighting apparatus as in claim 7 in which the shell is opaque. 
     
     
       9. Lighting apparatus as in claim 1 in which the shell is a molded plastics shell. 
     
     
       10. Lighting apparatus as in claim 9 in which the shell is formed in a plurality of separable parts which fit together to form the shell. 
     
     
       11. Lighting apparatus as in claim 1 in which the shell includes a translucent portion, and a light source for projecting light through such translucent portion to illuminate the interior of the shell. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus for producing substantially omnidirectional lighting of a photographic object, comprising means for forming about the object a substantially continuous array of diffusely reflecting means substantially surrounding the object and adapted to diffusely reflect light between the elements of such means and therefrom to the object,   and means to illuminate such array to cause light to be diffusely reflected between such elements and therefrom to the object so as to produce a diffuse glow of light from substantially all directions toward the object.